Animal Padre's
Christians Against All Animal Abuse "Christ’s redemption is for the whole of creation!"

NewslettersAutumn 2011 Issue

The Tainted Legacy of Christendom

For myself, I find it utterly inconceivable that any hierarchic
church structure could - in the name of Christ! - condone that
Christians should go out and kill fellow Christians: yes, fellow
worshippers of the same Prince of Peace! And, indeed, within Britain
those chaplains for the armed forces - backed by their bishops! -
affirmed that this was the right thing to do! Well I ask: ‘how is
it that those claiming to represent Jesus, could have so sinfully
deviated from all that our Blessed Lord stood for? Such Episcopal
approval to kill – relayed down from England’s Archbishop of Canterbury
- was not only a part of the First World Wars immoral impetus to commit
mass carnage and slaughter towards masses of fellow Christians of a
different land and language; but it also became more blatantly sinful
still when the head of Roman Catholicism - claiming to be Christ’s
‘vicar on earth!’ - endorsed a similar wholesale slaughter of Catholic
against Catholic.

Yes, and as for the animals, I wonder how many readers of this News
Letter realise that way back during the 2nd year of World War One, the
Army commandeered the fit and healthy mules that were then available for
war fodder? Unfortunately, mules - as with most animals - do not
like loud bangs and the general noise of war, and so they brayed a lot
in absolute fear; and more so when wounded. Indeed, the Army considered
this very bad for the general morale of the troops – so many of these
Tommies (British soldiers of common rank)) having forged a deep and
lasting love and compassion for their four legged comrades!
So, by this second year of a notoriously barbaric war, a solution was
arrived at between its war office and other government personnel. It was
simply this: with the assistance of certain veterinary surgeons,
literally tens of thousands of mules to be used for the war would be
operated on so as to have their voice boxes removed. Yes, and of course
- as the animals were classed by the most influential church leaders of
the time as void of a soul - little fuss would follow.

Indeed then, is it little wonder that, to the tune associated with
‘What a friend we have in Jesus’ that British soldiers began to lustily
sing ‘various!’ variations such as:

When this bloody war is over, O how happy we will be;'No more Church parades on Sundays';
And no more blooming Naafi tea

With so much carnage of both man and beast; and all condoned –
indeed, spurred on by leaders of the major churches - need one wonder
that post-war pews frequently became empty, and those occupied were
mostly by so many widows bereft for the rest of their days! Yes,
and then twenty-one years later, World War Two commences with a similar
ecclesiastical approval; and not least from a Pope who had previously
made a concordat with the Nazi leaders: most of whom had been cradled in
his own Church!